Bob Dylan played his third ever “electric” concert on this day in 1965.
Dylan's album “Bringing It All Back Home” featured electric backing. His just-released single, “Like A Rolling Stone”, even featured Dylan on electric guitar. Yet Dylan still “shocked” some fans by performing a short electric set with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, aided by Al Kooper on organ, at the Newport Folk Festival in July. Other fans were upset by the poor sound mix, which made it difficult to hear anything with any clarity.
Dylan’s next two concerts featured Kooper, Harvey Brooks (bass), Robbie Robertson (guitar) and Levon Helm (drums). The first half of the program was a 45-minute solo set, with Dylan on acoustic guitar and harmonica. The second half featured electric backing. The show’s format would not change over the next year.
The first post-Newport performance was at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, in New York ,on August 28. Much of the crowd booed during the second half of the show. When Dylan played Los Angeles on September 3, the audience was much more receptive. Here’s the known set list:
Solo acoustic:
She Belongs To Me
To Ramona
Gates Of Eden
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
Desolation Row
Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Mr. Tambourine Man
Electric:
Tombstone Blues
I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
From A Buick 6
Maggie's Farm
It Ain't Me, Babe
Ballad Of A Thin Man
Like A Rolling Stone
An excellent professional recording, probably recorded from the PA system, has made its way into the hands of collectors. Unlike the Forest Hills gig, this show featured an encore. There are no existing recordings of the final songs, however, to confirm what was played.
The Hollywood Bowl concert would be the last with this line-up. For the next year, Dylan would tour with The Hawks, which reunited Robertson and Helm with Rick Danko (bass), Richard Manuel (piano), and Garth Hudson (organ).These musicians would soon change their name to "The Band". Helm left the tour in late 1965 because of the crowd’s hostile reactions. His replacements were Bobby Gregg, Sandy Konikoff, and Mickey Jones. Jones would later appear on the television program, “Home Improvement”.
The clips included here - "Tombstone Blues" (top) and "It Ain't Me, Babe" - were of songs replaced later in the tour.
For more info: Dylan live 1966, 1965 tour info, Mickey Jones.
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